RMERF counts, March 16

Saturday, March 16 Mount Lorette [Day 14] 0750-1930 (Blake Weis, assisted by Ruth Morrow). The starting temperature was -9C, the high was 7C at 1700 and 1800 and was 4C at 1930. Ground winds were W-SW 0-5 km/h to 1300 after which they were WSW 5-10 gusting to 26 km/h, while ridge winds were moderate SW to 1300 and then SW moderate to strong. Cloud cover was 30% cirrus to 1000 and then 50-100% cirrus, altocumulus, altostratus and lenticular cloud for the rest of the day. All ridges were clear. A season-high total of 37 eagles were counted between 1025 and 1846 comprising 1 adult Bald Eagle and 36 Golden Eagles (29a, 1sa, 1u) which is the highest count for the site so far this season. Only 3 birds were seen before 1400 after which movement became steady with 9, 8 and 8 eagles migrating in each of the next 3 hours. All the movement was on the eastern ridge system with most birds kiting high above the northern end of the Fisher Range before gliding high to Mount Lorette. Two resident adult Northern Goshawks flew low to the south over the site at 1127 and 1128, and an assumed non-migrant adult Bald Eagle flew high from Olympic Summit to the east above the Fisher Range. Other birds in the area were 1 Hairy Woodpecker, 2 Canada Jays, 1 Black-billed Magpie, 5 Clark’s Nutcrackers, 12 Common Ravens, 7 Black-capped Chickadees, 4 Mountain Chickadees, 2 Red-breasted Nuthatches, 1 American Dipper, 25 Bohemian Waxwings, 2 Common Redpolls and 3 White-winged Crossbills. There was no shortage of company with 29 visitors making it to the site today.

11.67 hours (138.6) BAEA 1 (14), GOEA 36 (77) TOTAL 37 (92)

Saturday, March 16 Beaver Mines [Day 15] 0730-1930 (Peter Sherrington, assisted by Hilary Atkinson). For the first time this season the starting temperature at 0730 was above freezing (1C) although it dropped to 0C at 0800 before reaching a season high of 8C at 1700 and was still 4C at 2000. Winds were moderate W all day 20-30 gusting 40 km/h and cloud cover was 100-60% thin cirrostratus and altocumulus in the morning, with 100% grey uniform altostratus cover for the rest of the day that gave hazy sunshine. There was a very disappointing movement of only 5 raptors between the first Golden Eagle at 0836 and an adult Bald Eagle at 1541. The paltry fare comprised 2 adult Bald Eagles, 1 adult Northern Goshawk and 2 adult Golden Eagles with 9 hourly counts producing no birds at all. Single birds of the resident Golden Eagle family (2a and 1j) were seen hunting over the ridge on four occasions. Other birds seen were also fewer today and comprised 8 Rock Pigeons, 3 Downy Woodpeckers, 1 Hairy Woodpecker, 1 male Northern [Red-shafted] Flicker, 6 Blue Jays, 16 Black-billed Magpies, 18 American Crows, 36 Common Ravens, 4 Black-capped Chickadees, 1 Mountain Chickadee, 5 European Starlings, 45 Evening Grosbeaks, 4 Common Redpolls, 12 Pine Siskins and 2 Dark-eyed Juncos (1 hyemalis and 1 montanus).

12.5 hours (166.3) BAEA 2 (60) NOGO 1 (2), GOEA 2 (102) TOTAL 5 (173)

Saturday, March 16 Steeples [Day 11] 1130-1700 (Vance Mattson, assisted by Virginia Rasch and Penny Ohanjanian). Observation was from the usual Mount Bill Nye site where the temperature rose to 6C from a low of 1C, conditions were mainly calm and cloud cover was 100% thin altostratus that reduced to 40% thin altostratus and cumulus. A total of 16 migrants, 8 adult Bald Eagles, 7 adult Golden Eagles and 1 unidentified eagle, were seen between 1245 and 1708, with 13 of the birds moving between 1500 and 1700. The first migrant, a Golden Eagle, perched for 25 minutes on the ridge before finally flying to the north, and the calm conditions produced much slow soaring and low flight. Many resident or non-migrant birds were seen comprising 4 adult and 1 late subadult Bald Eagles, and single adult resident Golden Eagles were seen on 7 occasions and the juvenile twice.

About RMERF

Since 1992, Rocky Mountain Eagle Research Foundation (RMERF) volunteers have performed annual raptor migration counts at the same site location in the Kananaskis Country, Alberta, spring and fall; significantly providing data to the understanding of and amazement in watching Golden Eagles.